The Billionaire Who Wants Me Back

Chapter Four

Undisposed Burner Phone

Laura dragged herself through the large imposing gates of the Alder mansion, her steps faltering due to exhaustion. The quite large chandeliers inside cast their warm glow over polished marble floors, yet all of it felt cold to her. It didn't carry the warmth that a family was supposed to build together but instead it held emptiness and memories of the past she doesn't want to remember.

She had hoped she would see Ethan when she got home but Ethan wasn't available. His car wasn't parked outside neither did the usual air of indifference which seems to surround him linger around the house.

"Madam, welcome," Mrs. Taylor, the head housekeeper, greeted with concern, stepping forward. "We prepared some tea and light dinner for you. Should I—"

"Please, no," Laura interrupted softly, raising a weak hand. "I just need to be alone." She said with exhaustion in her voice. She had left the hospital after seeing Ethan which eventually didn't go well after which she went to her workplace and coming home in the evening not to see her so called husband.

The workers exchanged glances but obediently stepped back. Mrs. Taylor’s voice followed her as Laura ascended the grand staircase. "We’ve prepared your bath, madam. Please let us know if you need anything."

Laura didn’t respond, her mind numb as she switched her directions this time around heading to the bathroom. The steamy water embraced her aching body as she sank into the bath. The scent of lavender filled the air, but Laura barely noticed it. Her thoughts drifted, unbidden, to memories she had long hid away.

She was a wide-eyed child once again, stepping into the Alder mansion for the first time. Dr. Alder had smiled warmly, kneeling to her level as he said, "You’re safe here now, Laura. Welcome to our family."

For a time, she had felt loved. Dr. Alder treated her like his own daughter, but his wife, Marissa, despised her from the start. Laura remembered how Marissa would confiscate toys, clothes, or gifts Dr. Alder bought for her, handing them instead to Sophie, her biological daughter. Sophie had delighted in rubbing it in on her face when stuffs like that were confiscated and given to her.

Laura blinked back tears, pulling herself out of the memory. She didn’t want to revisit those wounds now, not when her body and soul already felt raw. But her attempt at peace was shattered by the unexpected sound of a ringtone cutting through the silence.

Laura’s eyes snapped open, her brows knitting in confusion. That wasn’t her ringtone. She got out of the bathtub wrapping herself in a towel, she climbed out of the bath, following the sound. It was persistent, almost taunting, leading her to the corner of the bathroom counter.

A small burner phone lay there, its screen glowing. Seven missed calls from an unsaved number. Four unread messages blinked at her. The last message visible through the screen,the content that of something written from a lover. Laura who was already dejected held the phone in her hands as she walked to her bedroom.

Laura sat on the edge of her bed, the burner phone still trembling in her hand. The bathroom’s dim light flickered through the half-open door, casting protruding shadows on the walls of her grand bedroom. Her heart thudded in her chest, louder than the silence that pressed around her.

“This can’t be real,” she muttered, her voice shaking. She scrolled through the messages again, each one a dagger piercing deeper into her chest.

“I miss you so much, Ethan. The nights are unbearable without you. Please call me when you’re free.” The message was read conveying a feeling of longing.

(Date: Three weeks ago)

“Why are you ignoring me? Is she keeping you from talking to me? This isn’t fair. I thought you said I was special.” The second message read conveying a feeling of frustration and dissatisfaction.

(Date: Two weeks ago)

“You’re a liar, Ethan. You said you’d leave her for me. Do you think I’ll just wait forever?” The third message read conveying evident anger.

(Date: Last week)

“Last night was amazing. I’ll never forget it. Call me soon, my love.” The message read conveying a feeling of excitement and satisfaction.

(Date: Yesterday)

Her fingers seemed shaken as she read the last one again. Last night? Her mind reeled. Ethan had returned home drunk yesterday night was this what he was up to? She had not suspected something like this or was it because she was too blinded? Blinded by what? It was a question she asked herself. Maybe she was just ignorant.

She shook her head violently, as if the motion could dispel the thoughts clouding her mind. Memories flooded back—Ethan’s late-night calls he claimed were work-related, the way he always seemed to lock his phone when she approached, and the sudden business trips. Laura’s chest tightened as the pieces fell into place.

She had doubts not wanting to believe that Ethan could do this to her. She had always knew Ethan had never loved her but him going out with another woman which could lead to a possible scandal which had brought them into this mess called marriage in the first place was something she didn't expect Ethan would get involved in.

She decided to interrogate her workers concerning the ownership of the burner phone. By the time she gathered the workers in the living room, the phone was hidden in her robe pocket. The air was tense, every servant exchanging nervous glances. The mansion’s chandelier cast an almost interrogative light on them.

Laura approached them pacing up and down with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. “I found something in the bathroom,” she began, her tone icy and straightforward “A phone. A burner phone.”

Her words hung in the air like a noose, tightening around them.

“Who does it belongs to?” she asked.

No one spoke. The silence stretched until it became unbearable.

Her voice rose. “Do not test my patience. I want answers, now.”

The head maid, Mrs. Hargrove, stepped forward, her hands wringing nervously. “Ma’am, none of us would dare leave something like that lying around. Maybe it belongs to a guest or…”

“Lies!” Laura snapped, her voice cracking. “It didn’t just appear there by magic. Someone knows something, and I want the truth!”

The head housekeeper Mrs Taylor spoke out. “I'm sorry you found something like that lying around. It was my duty for something like this to have never occurred please pardon me”

“It's not about apologizing. I need to know who owns this burner phone because I hope my suspicions are not true.” Laura said dismissing Mrs Taylor apology. Mrs Taylor had been working for them now and Laura was fond of her. She never suspected her but she just wanted her to be there so the other workers won't think there is a form of favouritism here.

Her eyes darted from face to face, searching for any sign of guilt. One of the younger maids shifted uncomfortably, her gaze darting to the ground.

Laura zeroed in on her. “You. What do you know?”

The girl shook her head quickly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I—I don’t know anything, ma’am.”

Laura stepped closer, her eyes narrowing. “You’re lying.”

Finally, one of the butlers, James, stepped forward, his face pale. “It’s mine,” he blurted out, his voice shaking.

Laura’s eyes narrowed. “Yours?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he stammered. “I was supposed to dispose of it, but I…..I forgot. I’m sorry.”

“Dispose of it?” Laura’s voice dropped dangerously low. “Who gave it to you?”

James hesitated, his eyes darting to the other servants. “I… I can’t say.”

Laura’s anger flared. She stepped closer, her voice filled with anger. “You will say, James. Or I’ll make sure you regret ever setting foot in this house.”

James was hesitant at first but as he opened his mouth to respond, the sound of the front door opening echoed through the mansion.

Ethan walked into the living room, his presence commanding immediate attention. He stopped short when he saw the assembled workers and Laura standing at the center, the tension in the room palpable.

His eyes darted to Laura and then to the burner phone in her hand. For the briefest moment, his expression flickered—shock, recognition.

The silence stretched unbearably, the air thick with unspoken accusations.

Laura met his gaze, her eyes blazing with a mix of fury and heartbreak. The burner phone dangled from her hand like a loaded weapon.

“Ethan,” she said, her voice deceptively calm. “We were just discussing this! what a perfect timing.”

The workers exchanged uneasy glances, sensing the storm about to erupt. Ethan’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing, his eyes fixed on the phone. Deep down he was filled with rage as he shot glances at James who he had asked to dispose the burner phone.

And then, the silence broke not with words, but with the weight of everything left unsaid.

The room fell silent. Workers exchanged nervous glances, and Laura stared at Ethan, the weight of unspoken accusations hanging between them.

Something was about to unravel, and everyone could feel it.